78. Our best actions are usually tainted and spoiled by the
evil that is rooted in us. When pure, clear water is poured
into a foul-smelling jug, or wine into an unwashed cask that
previously contained another wine, the clear water and the
good wine are tainted and readily acquire an unpleasant odour.
In the same way when God pours into our soul, infected by
original and actual sin, the heavenly waters of his grace or
the delicious wines of his love, his gifts are usually spoiled
and tainted by the evil sediment left in us by sin. Our
actions, even those of the highest virtue, show the effects of
it. It is therefore of the utmost importance that, in seeking
the perfection that can be attained only by union with Jesus,
we rid ourselves of all that is evil in us. Otherwise our
infinitely pure Lord, who has an infinite hatred for the
slightest stain in our soul, will refuse to unite us to
himself and will drive us from his presence.

79. To rid ourselves of selfishness, we must first become
thoroughly aware, by the light of the Holy Spirit, of our
tainted nature. Of ourselves we are unable to do anything
conducive to our salvation. Our human weakness is evident in
everything we do and we are habitually unreliable. We do not
deserve any grace from God. Our tendency to sin is always
present. The sin of Adam has almost entirely spoiled and
soured us, filling us with pride and corrupting every one of
us, just as leaven sours, swells and corrupts the dough in
which it is placed. The actual sins we have committed, whether
mortal or venial, even though forgiven, have intensified our
base desires, our weakness, our inconstancy and our evil
tendencies, and have left a sediment of evil in our soul.
Our bodies are so corrupt that they are referred to by
the Holy Spirit as bodies of sin, as conceived and nourished
in sin, and capable of any kind of sin. They are subject to a
thousand ills, deteriorating from day to day and harbouring
only disease, vermin and corruption.
Our soul, being united to our body, has become so carnal
that it has been called flesh. "All flesh had corrupted its
way". Pride and blindness of spirit, hardness of heart,
weakness and inconstancy of soul, evil inclinations,
rebellious passions, ailments of the body, - these are all we
can call our own. By nature we are prouder than peacocks, we
cling to the earth more than toads, we are more base than
goats, more envious than serpents, greedier than pigs, fiercer
than tigers, lazier than tortoises, weaker than reeds, and
more changeable than weather-cocks. We have in us nothing but
sin, and deserve only the wrath of God and the eternity of
hell.

80. Is it any wonder then that our Lord laid down that anyone
who aspires to be his follower must deny himself and hate his
very life? He makes it clear that anyone who loves his life
shall lose it and anyone who hates his life shall save it.
Now, our Lord, who is infinite Wisdom, and does not give
commandments without a reason, bids us hate ourselves only
because we richly deserve to be hated. Nothing is more worthy
of love than God and nothing is more deserving of hatred than
self.

81. Secondly, in order to empty ourselves of self, we must
die daily to ourselves. This involves our renouncing what the
powers of the soul and the senses of the body incline us to
do. We must see as if we did not see, hear as if we did not
hear and use the things of this world as if we did not use
them. This is what St. Paul calls "dying daily". Unless the
grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a
single grain and does not bear any good fruit. If we do not
die to self and if our holiest devotions do not lead us to
this necessary and fruitful death, we shall not bear fruit of
any worth and our devotions will cease to be profitable. All
our good works will be tainted by self-love and self-will so
that our greatest sacrifices and our best actions will be
unacceptable to God. Consequently when we come to die we shall
find ourselves devoid of virtue and merit and discover that we
do not possess even one spark of that pure love which God
shares only with those who have died to themselves and whose
life is hidden with Jesus Christ in him.

82. Thirdly, we must choose among all the devotions to the
Blessed Virgin the one which will lead us more surely to this
dying to self. This devotion will be the best and the most
sanctifying for us. For we must not believe that all that
glitters is gold, all that is sweet is honey, or all that is
easy to do and is done by the majority of people is the most
sanctifying. Just as in nature there are secrets enabling us
to do certain natural things quickly, easily and at little
cost, so in the spiritual life there are secrets which enable
us to perform works rapidly, smoothly and with facility. Such
works are, for example, emptying ourselves of self-love,
filling ourselves with God, and attaining perfection.
The devotion that I propose to explain is one of these
secrets of grace, for it is unknown to most Christians. Only a
few devout people know of it and it is practised and
appreciated by fewer still. To begin the explanation of this
devotion here is a fourth truth which is a consequence of the
third.